Topic Reading-Vol.1541-6/30/2016

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

What living in space does to your body

Astronauts. This risky job is not only highly demanding but also affecting their bodies and health. Some effects are temporary like weakened muscles and immune system while others take weeks for recovery. But there are effects that stay longer or even for lifetime such as risk of cancer or other diseases might.

So why there still are so many men and women who want to spend time in space?

Ask a mountain climber why he risks his life to climb a mountain. He may say because there is one right there to be climbed.

Passion seems to supersedes fear, at least for some people.

Enjoy reading and thinking if you’d like to travel to space for your next vacation.

http://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2016/space-astronauts-iss-return-peake-malenchenko-kopra/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.1540-6/29/2016

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why North Korea is a safe haven for birds

Underdevelopment seems to save some bird species. Can you believe that North Korea, undoubtedly the most unfriendly country to foreigners, is the most welcoming nation to migratory birds in the world. Why? The western shores of the northern peninsula are sill untouched by humans, not because of conservation efforts or regulations but just lack of investment.

That’s good news for some migratory birds that fly over 10,000km without stopping from New Zealand. They need a place where they can rest, habit and breed for some time to make their long and risky journey worthwhile.

Enjoy reading and learning that there is at least one thing that the hostile country does good.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36533469

Topic Reading-Vol.1539-6/28/2016

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Canine check in: The rise of pet-friendly hotels

It is a trend that is spreading across some part of the world, such as the U.S.A., the U.K., and Austria. There seems to be increasing number of pet owners who don’t want to leave their lovely pets home. Remember how much it cost Jonny Depp when he took his pet dogs to Australia and he had to fly them back home in their private jet only for themselves, not to mention the media attention and government pressure.

To accommodate such pet-loving guests, more hotels have become pet-friendly and pet-welcoming. Just allowing the guests to bring in their pets isn’t enough. They need to present and offer the same level of hospitality as they do to the human guests to the accompanied pets, such as bed making, room service, sitting and walking.

But animals aren’t pleased by lip services but feel friendliness. They won’t be fooled. So, if you do something, do it right.

Enjoy reading and thinking if you’d like to stay in a room that was slept by a dog or cat the night before.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-36578382

Topic Reading-Vol.1538-6/27/2016

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Why India is a nation of foodies

Back to basic. Meals are prepared to be shared by the family members. That’s one of the most essential activities of any day for most families in the world. And in India, it is particularly valued to bond the family as every family member eats small portion of everything.

More interestingly, foods seem to be very distinct in one place or family from another in India while most foreigners may think there are only curry and tandoori. It is a big subcontinent and things are pretty much diverse such as languages, cultures and values.

But one thing seems to be common. As introduced in Vol.1522, drinking during a family mealtime is disrespectful.

Enjoy reading and learning what is valued the most in India.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-36415078

Topic Reading-Vol.1537-6/26/2016

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

China dog meat festival: Is it really so bad to eat dog?

What a feast. Many live dogs are slaughtered and eaten. This annual festival is NOT a traditional event in China. It only started only in 2009, though the dog-eating habit has been part of the cultures in some regions.

Is that a matter of what to kill and eat or how to slaughter? Dolphins and whales for Japanese. Rabbits and deer for French. Sheep for Mongolians and beef for Americans. In some religions like Judaism or Islam, how to slaughter livestock is clearly and strictly stated.

Is it a moral imperialism to tell others with different values what not to eat or how to kill?

See the video, read the text and think if you agree with either side of the argument.

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/19/opinions/china-dog-meat-festival-hypocrisy/index.html

Topic Reading-Vol.1536-6/25/2016

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

China builds world's most powerful computer

Another top of the list by China. This time it’s probably much more significant than others such as the number of smartphones or cars sold, the length of high-speed railways or the amount of online sales a day. It is in computer science and technology.

According to the Top500 list, a new supercomputer developed in China performs more calculations per second than any other computer in the world, faster than the previous leader also produced in China.

Supercomputers can be used for weather forecast, aero or space dynamics design, biological analysis, chemical compounds simulations or any other field that requires super high-speed computer simulations.

China has now 167 computers on the list, surpassing the US’s 165. What’s more surprising is that the Chinese supercomputer uses domestically developed chips. In other word, it’s a pure Chinese blood supercomputer.

Enjoy reading and thinking how advanced China’s computer technology and industry will be like in the next decade.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-36575947

Topic Reading-Vol.1535-6/24/2016

Dear MEL Topic Readers,

Made in Africa: One of these inventions is about to make it big

Identifying problems is important, though it is just a start. Solving those problems is essential, though preventing problems from happening is more ideal. And it would be nice if these should be done economically and practically, ideally locally.

That’s what this annual Innovation Prize for Africa is about. It encourages people in Africa to come up with solutions to their problems and helps them materialize or realize. The winners get financial prizes and more importantly, may draw attentions from potential users, practitioners or investors.

This sort of stimulus activities seems to play an important role in for Africa where so many people are left behind the poverty line.

Enjoy reading and thinking which solution is going to be practiced in scale and help more.

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/16africa/aif-prize-inventions-2016/index.html